Lupita Nyong’o pens a book to inspire children of colour

Team Udayavani, Jan 20, 2018, 9:33 AM IST

Los Angeles: Actor Lupita Nyong’o has written a children’s book and she wishes it inspires people of colour “to walk with joy in their own skin”.

The Oscar-winning actor shared the news on her Instagram page and said the book’s name is “Sulwe” which has been inspired by her own childhood as a black teenager.

“I am pleased to reveal that I have written a children’s book! It’s called ‘Sulwe’! Sulwe is a dark skinned girl who goes on a starry-eyed adventure, and awakens with a reimagined sense of beauty,” Nyong’o tweeted while sharing a screenshot of her interview with the New York Times.

“She encounters lessons that we learn as children and spend our lives unlearning. This is a story for little ones, but no matter the age I hope it serves as an inspiration for everyone to walk with joy in their own skin,” she added.

The actor said the book will be released in January next year and it is aimed at children between the age group five to seven.

Talking to NYT, Nyong’o shared further details of the book and the character of the protagonist.

“Sulwe” means “star” in Nyong’o’s native language, Luo and the book follows the story of the five-year-old girl growing up in Kenya.

She also recalled her struggles during her childhood while trying to embrace her skin colour. She said she was continuously compared to her fairer-skinned sister.